Ditch-gate.



A. J. CULLAR.

DITGH GATE.

APPLIUATION FILED Nov.13, 1909.

Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

ADONIRAM J. COLLAR, 0F YREKA, CALIFORNIA.

BITCH-GATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

Application led November 13, 1909. Serial No. 527,816.

To all whom c't may concern:

Be it known that I, AnoNmAM J. COLLAR, a citizen of the United States,residing at Yreka, in the county of Siskiyou and State of California,have invented new and useful Improvements in Ditch-Gates, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to adjustable and automatic ditch gates forregulating the -liow of a body of water, and particularly pertains to-ditch vgates such as are installed at the heads' of flumes, sluices andthe like, where lthey join with a -main canal, or other source of watersupply.

It is the Iobject of this invention to provide a ditchgate by means ofwhich a uniform amount, and a constant flow of water may be delivered-to a ditch, canal, or other channel, from Ya main source in which theflow is variable and fluctuating.

Another object is to provide a ditch gate which may be :adjusted in such4manner as to regulate the area of opening so that anypredetermined'quantity of water will be discharged therethrough during agiven period of time, and which can be locked in an open or closedposition.

A further object of this invention is 4to provide a gate which may beclosed and locked, and which is so constructed as to make a perfectlytight closure so as -to completely shut ofi the flow of water whendesired.

The invention consists of the part-s, and the combination andconstruction of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 isa side view of the invention, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a detail inperspective of the differential drum. Fig. 8

is a front view of the ditch gate. Fig. 4 is a detail of the clamppacking bars on the ends of the gate, showing the open position. Fig. 5is a detail in section of the lower edge of the gate. Fig. 6 is aperspective of the upper portion of a packing bar; and Fig. 7 is adetail of a wind bearing.

In the drawings, A is a. fiume connecting with a main canal B, and 2 isa gate interposed across the head of the flume and adapted to rest upona shoe or stool 3, builtacross the bottom of the Hume. The gate 2 hasconnected with it on the rear side, radius rods 4 of considerablelength. These rods extend along the flume, and are hinged or pivoted toa fixed transverse bar 5, which forms a fulcrum around which the rodsand the gate may rise and fall in an arc of a clrcle.

The gate 2 may be constructed of any desired material, and suitablybraced and reinforced when `the fiume is wide, and as many radius. rods4 may be employed, as found expedient, but which are preferably mounted1n pairs as shown in Fig. 1, with one rod connecting with the gate andbrace ribs at a suitable point below the top of the gate, and the otherat the bottom, and both converging to the hinge point so as to form atriangular brace which msures the rigidity of thegate of any dimensions,and its easy operation.

The end edges `of the gate 2 are not in contact with the sides of theflume, a narrow space as at 6, Fig. et, separating the gate and flume,so that the former may be freely moved up and down within the latter,without any friction'. This space 6 is open when the gate is raised fromits seat, and is closed when the gate is in its lowerlnost position bymeans of automatic packing bars 7-7 which are mounted on the front faceof the gate at each end. These bars 7-7 consist of vertical angle ironswhich are pivotally mounted 011 and are suspended from rocking leverarms 8, which are pivoted ai 9 to the gate 2 in such manner that 'thebars 7-7 may be moved up and against or down and away from the sides yofthe fiume, so as to close or open the spaces 6. This is accomplished inthe following manner: When the gate 2 is in a raised position, the bars7-7 by virtue of their weight, are dropped down and away from the sidesof the fiume, as shown in Fig. 4 in full lines; this movement beingpermitted by the pivotal mountings of the bars 7-7 and levers 8. Stoppins 10 limit the downward movement of the bars 7 T. When in thisposition the lower ends of the bars 7 7" project below the bottom edgeofthe gate 2, and when the gate is lowered, the ends of the bars 7-7contact the upper face of the stool 3, and are lifted up and overagainst the face of the fiume A, as show-n in Fig. 3, and in dottedlines in Fig. 4. The outer or contacting faces of the angle bars 7 7which bear against the sides of the flume and the front of the gate,aire covered with a flexible packing 11, and the sides of the fiume atthe contacting point may be lined with a similar material, so that whenthe gate closed and the packing bars 7-7 are clamped against the'sidesof the flume, a perfect water-tight joint is obtained.

The bottom edge of the gate 2 is provided with a packing strip as shownin Fig. 5, which consists of a flexible strap 12 which extends acrossthe lower edge and up on each side of the gate 2, the portion projectingupon the front of the gate being preferably set in flush, as shown.Passa es 13 are formed in the bottom edge o the gate, through whichwater is admitted to the space between the lower edge of the gate andthe back of the packing strip 12, when the gate is submerged,-thusforming a Water cushion, land making a tight contact when the gate isclosed, the flexibility of the cushion allowing it to conform to anyunevenness in the slot 3, or the bottom edge of the gate 2.

At a suitable distance in the rear of the gate, and beside the flume, isa post 14, at the top of which is fulcrumed a beam 15. The end of thebeam 15 which projects over the flume is connected to the gate 2 bymeans of chains 16, or other flexible connections, which are secured tothe end of the beam and to the small sheaves 17 on the dill'erentialdrum, shown in Fig. 2, which is mounted on the gate 2. The oppositeendof the beam 15 is provided with' a suitable swiveled and internallythreaded bearing 16, shown in .Fig 7, through which the threaded portionof a vertical shaft 17 extends. The upper end of the shaft 17,has ahand-wheel 18, and the lower end isv secured to a float 19 which isadapted to ride in a float boX 20 on the side of the flume A, as in it.A beam 22 is disposed opposite the beam 15 in front of the gate 2, andis fulcrumed at 23. One end of the beam 22 is connected to the gate 2 bymeans of a chain 24 which is secured to the central eccentric sheave 25of the differential drum. The other end of the beam 22 is connected b`ymeans of an adjustable rod 27 to a float 26 which rides in a crate oropen cage in the main canal B. The float 22 is affected by the rise andfall of the water surface in the main canal. f

In operation, it being desired to admit a certain volume or flow ofwater to the flume A, the gate 2 is opened by rotating the handwheel 18,so as to cause a downward pull on the short end of the beam 15 whichmoves the outer end of the beam upward. This causes the chains 16 tounwind from the drum 17 by revolving the latter in its bearings. Thisunwinding of the chains 16, and consequent rotation of the differentialdrum, causes the chain 24 to wind on the eccentric sheave 25, which isconnected to the sheaves 17, thus pulling down on the .short end of thelever 22. The length of wind of the chain 24 being greater than theunwind of the chains 16, causes an upward pull on the gate 2 by reasonof the counterweighted floats 19 and 26 exerting a downward pull on theouter ends of the lever beams 15 and 22. When the gate is suicientlyraised the hand-wheel 18 is locked in any suitable manner, such as alock and chain 28. As the gate 2 is raised, the packing bars 7-7 dropaway from the sides of the flume A, thus opening the spaces 6 whereupona flow of water is caused to pass beneath and around the edges of thegate 2. The water in the flume A tends to ralse the oat 19, whichdepresses the long end of the beam 15 to lower the gate, so that when anexcess of water is admitted to the flume, the gate 2 is automaticallyclosed so as to lessen the area of the opening of the gate. Similarly, araise of the surface of the water in the main canal B, tends to raisethe float 26 and lower the gate 2, through the medium of the beam 22. Inlike manner, a fall of the water surface in either the flume or maincanal will tend to open the gate wider and allow a greater volume ofWater to flow therethrough. The two diameters of the differential drumat 17 and 25, and the lengths of the lever arms of the beams 15 and 22are so proportioned in ratio to each other, that an exact balance of thegate 2 is obtained, regardless of the set area of the gate opening.Thus, when the gate is raised, say one inch, from its seat, a volume ofwater will pass thereunder in a stream of like depth, regardless of thehead of water in front of the gate. The greater the depth of water abovethe gate opening, the greater the quantity of Water that will passbeneath the gate, andvice versa, therefore in order to maintain auniform f low, the height of the gate from its seat must vary inproportion to the depth of water in the main canal above the gateopening. This is accomplished through'the action -of the float 26 andthe eccentricr drum 25 as before described. When it is desired to closeand lock the gate, the long arm of the beam 15 is lowered by means ofthe hand-wheel 18, and threaded shaft 17a until the arm rests upon thetop of the gate, which is in its lowermost position. The float 19 isthen resting upon the floor of the float box 20. By locking thehand-wheel 18 against rotation, the beam 15 takes a fixed position, andprevents the raising of the gate.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is 1. The combination with a flume or sluice, of a gateinterposed across the head of the flume, a center of oscillation locatedbehind the gate within the flume, radius connecting and brace rods,opposed ulcrumed levers each having one end connected with the gate, andfloats with which the opposite ends of the levers are connected, oneofsaid floats being raised and lowered by the rise and fall within thefiume, and the other by the level of the water supplied to the fiume.

2. The combination with a fiume or sluice, of a gate interposed acrossthe head of the flume, a center of oscillation located behind the gatewithinthe fiume, radius connecting and brace rods, opposed fulcrumedlevers one having one arm connected with the gate and the other arm witha float within the infiuence of the iiow in the fiume, and the otherhaving one arm connected with the gate and the other arm with a iioatwithin the infiuence of the water admit-ted to the fiume.

3. The combination with a fiume or sluice, of a gate interposed acrossthe head of the flume, a center ofl oscillation located behind the gatewithin the fiume, radius connecting and brace rods, opposed fulcrurnedlevers each having one end connected with the gate, one of which leversis adjustably connected with a float withinthe influence of the fiow inthe fiume, and the other similarly connected with a fioat infiuenced bythe level of the water supplied to the fiume.

4. The combination with a flume or sluice, of a gate interposed acrossthe head of the fiume, a center of oscillation located behind the gatewithin the fiume, radius connecting and brace rods, opposed fulcrumedlevers having their outer ends connected with fioats locatedrespectively within the infiuence of the flow in the fiume and the watersupplied, a drum or sheave upon the gate with which the first namedlever .is flexibly connected, and a coacting eccentrlc or differentialdrum with which the second lever is similarly connected.

5. The combination with a fiume or sluice, of a gate interposed acrossthe head of the fiume7 a center of oscillation located behind the gatewithin the fiume, radius connecting and brace rods, opposed fulcrumedlevers having their outer ends connected with floats locatedrespectively within the j influence of the flow in the fiume and that ofthe water supply, a circular drum carried by the gate, a. exibleconnection with the fiume lever adapted to wind upon said drum, an

eccentric drum turnable with the circular drum, and having a similarconnection with the other-lever whereby the movement ofthe floats isdifferentiated.

6. The combination with a flume or sluice, of a gate interposed acrossthe head of the flume, a center of oscillation located behind the gatewithin the flume, radius connecting of a gate interposed across the headof the flume, a center of oscillation located behind the gate within thefiume, radius connecting and brace rods, opposed ulcrumed levers havingtheir outer endsconnected with floats located -respectively within theinfiuence of the iiow in the fiume and that of the water suppl andwinding drums upon the gate turna le in unison, having fiexibleconnections with the levers, and variably acting upon the floats and thegate.

'8. The combination with a fiume or sluice, of a gate interposed acrossthe head -of the fiume, a center of oscillation located behind the gateWithin' the fiume, radius connectin and brace rods, and balancing leversand floats, and means to pack the edges of the gate when closed, saidmeans including outwardly and inwardly movable packing strips,l andmeans by which they are advanced and retracted.-

9 The combination with a flume, of a vertically movable gate, packingbars carried by the vert-ical edges of the gate, fulcrumed levers towhich the bars are pivoted, and means for moving the levers to advanceor retract the bars with relation to the sides ofthe fiume.

10. The combination with a fiume, and a vertically movable gatetherefor, of vertical packing bars, levers fulcrumed upon the edges ofthe gate adapted to carry said bars and allow them to drop away from theedges of the gate when the latter commences to rise, said bars andlevers coacting when the gate is closed to force the bars outward, andform tight joints with the sides of the fiume.

11. The combination with a fiume, and a vertically movable gatetherefor, of vertical packing bars, levers fulcrumed to the gate, to theends of which levers the bars are pivoted so as to swing away from thesides of the fiume when the gate begins to rise, the lower ends of thebars contacting with the bottom of the fiume when the gate is closed,and the levers coacting therewith to force the bars outwardly and formtight joints with the fiume sides.

12. The combination with a flume, and a rising and falling gatetherefor, of vertical packing bars, with means for moving them outwardwhen the gate is closed, and allowing them to be retracted when the gateis` opened.

13. The combination with a. flume, and a rising and falling gatetherefor, of automatically operating packing bars to form joints withthe sides of the fiume, and packing strips, and a flexible packing stripforming a joint with the bottom of the fiume.

14. The combination with a fiume, and a vertically movable gatetherefor, of a ilexible packing strip fitting the lower edge of thegate, and a channel admitting water through the gate to the'innersurface of the packing strip whereby it is distended to form a jointwith the bottom.

15. The combination of a ume, a vertically movable gate located at thepoint of intersection of the iume with a main ditch, and controllinglever and float, of manually actuated means to close and lock the gate.

16. The combination of a fiume, a gate vertically movable therein andlocated at the point of intersection of the flume with a main ditch, afulcrumed lever having one end connected with the gate, a float and anunyielding connection with the opposite end of the lever, and means tosecure 'the gate and float in their lowest position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of tWosubscribing Witnesses.

ADONIRAM J. COLLAR. Witnesses R. S. BERRY, W. R. DAVIS.

